Weather

I was out briefly today to meet some friends for coffee — which turned into pizza (gotta love these flexible meals 😆)  While I was doing that, the boys did a grocery run since they will be on their own next week while I’m in hospital.  I’ll be telling my dad tomorrow about that.  I’m not looking forward to it, but it needs to be done, so I’ll face up to it like a big girl and deal with it.  I’ve warned my siblings that I’ll be breaking the news to him, so they are aware and can be in place to support him.  In some ways, dealing with this illness would be easier if I didn’t have people around me who cared about me, as it wouldn’t be so hard breaking bad news.  But in reality, if I had no one to love me, I’d have given up 10 years ago and have missed out on a lot of wonderful experiences and amazing people in my life.  Knowing that they are there, and that they love me gives me a lot of strength to face these many adventures that the Good Lord has seen fit to send my way.  The price for that is that they worry, and as much as I’d like to spare them, I need to be honest with them and face up to the pain that my illness causes.  I will do my best to cushion the blow, and I’ll try to remain positive, so that my attitude doesn’t add to the worry.  It will be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.

You know, living in Canada one spends a LOT of time complaining about the weather. “Don’t like the weather?  Wait 5 minutes.”  “Canada, where you can experience all 4 seasons in an afternoon!”  “Ottawa has 2 seasons, winter and construction!”  “The seasons in Ottawa- winter, still winter, false spring, summer, black fly, fall and winter!”  And so it goes!  I mean, in March we’re looking for temperatures above 10C, then above 20C then we complain loudly about the heat and then we complain that it’s too cold, not cold enough, too much snow, not enough snow… you get the idea!  Here we are, mid-May, and the complaints were that spring was slow in coming, that it was too cold, that it would never get here, and now that it’s too hot!  Wait a couple more weeks, and there will be comparisons of the weather with Hades!  I’ve got used to the grousing over the years.  Growing up in Trinidad, the weather forecast was pretty simple.  “Sunny and hot/ raining and hot/ a few scattered showers in the afternoon.  Seas slight to moderate, with waves up to 2m in open waters, less than 1m in sheltered areas.”  In the rainy season, the sea forecast would often change to, “small craft cautioned to remain near shore.”  And in late December into January, often the forecast would read, “Overnight temperatures of 19C, cooler in the valleys.  Take a sweater with you if you’re going to be outdoors.” 😊🤣😝. When I worked at the Canadian High Commission, a few of the Canadian officers joked that it was never necessary to check the forecast before going out, because it was always the same.  I was stunned that there’s a channel devoted to weather in Canada, and at first I watched it because I was fascinated to see the maps with the radar and the fronts and all that meteorological stuff… then I learnt that it simply loops in 10-minute cycles, and I just check the forecast on my phone.  All of that rambling to say that it was again a rainy, windy day today, and there’s more rain forecast for the next few days.  All good for the flowers and fruit and all those delicious goodies!  

Wish me courage tomorrow; I’ll update you on how things go, and how he reacts.  We will be optimistic that things will go well and he’ll be ok and won’t have a relapse.  Meanwhile, I’ll take my aching back off to bed as I have an early appointment tomorrow.  Good night, and dream well.